Iron Fist Season 2 – Review

It is worth noting that I’ve been a huge Iron Fist fan throughout my time following comics. He’s one of the first comic mythologies I was introduced to and continues to be one of the strongest characters in the Marvel universe, which is why I was disappointed with Season 1 of Iron Fist. The first season was missing what made Iron Fist such a special character in Marvel lore. Going into season 2, there was hope for a much stronger season of the titular character. Announcements, plot details, SDCC panels and information stated to raise my hype for the show, which had me going into Iron Fist with very high expectations. With expectation already high, Iron Fist Season 2 managed to surprise me in every way, delivering one a very strong season and story. The following review is spoiler free.

First Few Episodes

The first few episodes of Iron First are slow burn. Although this time is spent developing the current status of all the major players of the season, it definitely could have used more plot devices to keep it moving. At times it felt stagnant and some characters were left just being there. However, the opening fight sequence was great.

Marvel’s Iron Fist

While Joy Meachum was not one of my favorite characters in the first season, I respect the writers for trying to give Joy a new place and identity in the show. Sadly, it didn’t really feel all that natural, and her motivations could have been developed a little better. Joy plays well off of other characters, particularly Davos, though as her plot thread continues, she once again becomes a character with not much place in the larger story.

Colleen’s role in the first few episodes is also slower than it should have been. When the show opens up, Colleen and Danny are living together, and she’s hung up the sword to help people through donating her time in a community center. It is worth noting this is only an issue at some points of the story and overall Colleen continues to be one of the best characters to come Netflix’s Marvel shows.

Highlights

There’s been quite a bit of focus on it, but the choreography in this season ranges from good to Daredevil levels of stunning—fights flow incredibly and the blows actually feel like they’re landing. Danny’s fist itself received an upgrade of sorts, with a particular moment being a favorite of mine, the use of it actually kicking up a wave of dust. Although it’s not used nearly as widely as in the comics, it still makes it clear why Iron Fist has been known for his legend.

Ward was one of my favorite characters from Iron Fist season 1, and he’s only made more interesting this season, with the episodes following him on his own separate journey that converges with Danny’s in a very satisfying way. While Danny Rand is quite the improvement from Season 1, there are still some issues to figure out. The most apparent being, he still doesn’t feel like the Iron Fist we saw in the Luke Cage Season 2. The good thing is that we’re closer, and hopefully with another season, we’ll get there. Danny is given an interesting subplot with him stepping away from Rand, and we genuinely gain a liking for the character over the course of the season. Then there’s Colleen, who is by far the standout from the heroes—her fight choreography is awesome, her subplot dealing with a group of kids is engaging, and the overall payoff is some of the best I’ve seen from the Netflix shows. Finally, Misty has a great presence throughout the show, and manages to further the plot without feeling forced or out of place; she’s sufficiently cool.

No matter what you think of the heroes of the show, by far the real MVPs of the season are the two villains, Mary and Davos. Davos is an amazing character and seeing some of the fantastic choreography work that Sacha Dhawan worked with makes it all the more better. Davos’ plan is very much a slow burn, but from Episode 5 onward, you get an idea of what he’s doing, and that moment of realization might be my favorite moment from this season. Then there was Mary, who took me entirely by surprise. Her character is one that could have very easily fallen into being overly cheesy, but she is instead presented as interesting and unpredictable, while following her own rules. The two villains end up colliding in a very cool way that will definitely leave invested viewers happy.

Overall, Iron Fist Seasons 2 is an incredible upgrade from Season 1. Captivating villains lead the way as the heroes become more three dimensional, the plot becomes more layered and the series elevates to another level. It is good to see the character I’ve loved for so long finally settle into his own series.